Folding carton



April'13, 1943- R. w. MARSHALL FOLDING CARTON Filed July 9, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l ApriLlB, 1943. R. w. MARSHALL FOLDING CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 9, 1940 April 13, 1-943. w, MARsHALL 2,316,701

FOLDING CARTON Filed July 9, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 13, 1943 FOLDING CARTON Ray W. Marshall, Rittman,

Ohio Boxboard Compa corporation of Ohio om. Msimor to The Rittman, hio,-a

Application July 9, 1940, Serial No. 344,567

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-33) In so-called infold cartons," that is to say, cartons of boxboard, cardboard, or other paperboard or similar appropriate material, made from out, scored and folded blanks so formed that their cooperative parts may be pasted or otherwise joined while in folded condition, it has been found that when these cartons as ordinarily constructed are set up for use they have a marked tendency to reassume their folded condition due to the inherent spring in the material, and the walls of the cartons therefore are what is known in the trade as soft and lack that rigidity which is desirable.

One object of the present invention is to overcome this objection of softness by providing means for relatively rigidly supporting the walls in set-up condition, such means forming an integral part of the carton blank and functioning automatically when the carton is adjusted to setup condition.

Another object of the invention is to form the carton in such manner that the customary diagonai fold lines of opposite walls, usually the end walls, upon which these walls are folded to accomplish the pasting operation, may be at 45 to the lines of fold between the walls and bottom of the carton, so that when the carton is adjusted to set-up condition the walls will assume positions perpendicular to the bottom.

The invention contemplates a folding carton having a body including a bottom, side walls and end walls constituting parts of an integral blank and defined by cuts and scores upon which latter the walls are folded relatively to the bottom, certain of said walls, preferably the end walls, comprising outer members connected with the bottom and inner members constituting flaps attached to the adjacent side wall, the outer members being foldable upon diagonal score lines and the flaps being attached to the outer free triangular portions defined by such diagonal score lines, said flaps having their edges which are normally adjacent to the bottom provided with means which, when the carton is adjusted to set-up condition will engage the bottom to frictionally retain the walls perpendicular to the, bottom, the body being apertured adjacent to the line of fold between the flap-carrying side wall and thebottom so that said means will be accommodated when the carton is in folded condition, all as will be explained hereinafter more fully and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated;

I by cuts Figure 1 is a plan view of the carton blank in flat condition.

Fig. 2 illustrates the carton blank after the first folds preliminary to pasting have been made.

Fig. 3 illustrates the blank fully folded and pasted.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the carton in partially set-up condition.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the' carton in completely set-up condition, and closed.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view taken substantially on the line a-b, Fig. 5, and looking into one end of the set-up and closed carton, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation taken on the line ab, Fig. 5, and looking into the end thereof.

The carton illustrated in the drawings is of the window type ordinarily used for packaging cake, bread and similar food products, and may, as above stated, he made from a blank of suitable box board, cardboard or other paperboard or appropriate material, suchblank being suitably cut and scored to define a bottom i, side walls 2 and 3, end wall members 4 anda top 5, the side wall 3 and top 5 being provided with a continuous window opening 6.

The front wall 2 carries at its ends integral flaps I separated from the end wall members 4 8 extending in substantial alignment with the score or fold lined between the bottom land side wall 2, though slightly offset outwardly therefrom. These cuts 8 are so formed as to provide friction means Ill, preferably in the form of feet, upon the edges of the flaps I which ultimately stand adjacent to the bottom i when the carton is in set-up condition, and it will be noted that although the cuts 8 are offset outwardly from alignment with the score or fold line 9, they are not thus offset to an extent equal to'the distance at which the feet ofistand from the edges of the flaps. It will thus be apparent that when the blank is in completely folded condition, as shown in Fig. 3, the feet In must extend outwardly past the line of fold 9, and provision for the accommodation and passage of the feet is made by forming partially severed tongues ll preferably in the bottom I and having their free edges lying in the score or fold line 9 to furnish appropriate apertures.

The end wall members I are agonal scores or fold lines l2 extending from relief openings I 3 arranged at the junction of the score or fold line 9, the cuts 8 and scores or fold lines It and I5, upon which latter the end wall members 4 and flaps 1, respectively, are folded provided with di- The side wall 2 relatively to the bottom i and side wall 2, and these scores or i'old lines it provide for folding of the members 4 for pasting and are arranged at an angle of 45 to the score or fold line a for a purpose hereinafter appearing.

Attached to the end wall members 5 are opposite sidewall elements 15 to the members 4 upon scores or fold lines H, and these side wall elements It are severed from the side wall 3 by cuts i8.

3 is foldable with respect to the bottom l upon a score or fold line l9.

The top 5 is foldable with relation to the side wall 3 upon a discontinuous score or fold line 20, and this top carries side and end skirt-forming members 2i and 22, respectively, foldable relatively to the top 5 upon scores or fold lines 23 and 24, respectively. The skirt member 2| is provided with pasting tabs 25 at its opposite ends, and these tabs are foldable upon scores or fold lines 26 and cooperate with and are pasted, as will be described, tothe outer corners 21 of th skirt members 22, which corners are foldable upon diagonal scores or fold lines 28 preferably arranged at an angle of 45 to the score or fold line 23.

The skirt member 2i and the side wall 2 are provided, respectively, with tongue and slot means 29 and 30 which, when engaged, as illustrated in Fig. 5, serve to hold the cover closed upon the carton.

The window opening 6 may, if desired, be provided with a panel or closure of Cellophane or other transparent material (not shown) as is customary in cartons of this general nature.

Aside from the feature of the feet It and the cooperating aperture-forming tongues Ii, the blank of this infold carton is folded for pasting to assembled form in substantially the same manher as infold cartons of known types, such folding and pasting usually being performed upon automatic machines provided for the purpose.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the first folds of the carton elements are accomplished by folding the parts I, 4, I6, 22 and 2-5 inwardly upon their respective scores or fold lines l5, I4, 24 and 26, over the parts 2, I, 3, 5 and 2 I, and then the end wall members 4 and skirt members 22 have their free corners 3| and 21, respectively, folded outwardly upon their diagonal scores or fold lines l2 and 28, (Fig. 2), thus presenting exposed triangular surfaces to which paste is applied. With the blank thus folded and prepared for pasting, the side wall 2 with its flaps 1 is folded inwardly over the bottom I and over the free corners 3| of the end wall members 4, and the skirt member 2|, with its tabs 25, is inwardly folded over the top 5 and over the free corners 21 of the skirt members 22, all as shown in Fig. 3, and pressure is applied over the whole folded blank to cause adhesion and complete the pasting operation.

It is to be noted that when the side wall 2 with its folded flaps I is inwardly folded as last described, the feet In of the flaps I will depres the tongues H and pass outwardly through the apertures thus'provided, thereby preventing any distortion of the folded carton due to the offstanding nature of the feet In.

To set up the carton, the parts will be unfolded and distended, as shown in Fig. 4, and by a suitable outward wall 2 and the flaps I, the feet and remaining in the plane of be caused to slide laterally over I, undistorted, the flaps 1, will the bottom in foldable with respect scores or fold lines pressure exerted upon the side back to folded condition and they and the corners joining them will be held rigidly erect. Moreover, due to the angle of 45 at which the i2 are arranged, the side wall 2 and the end walls will be supported perpendicular to the bottom i.

The carton is now ready to receive the merchandise to be packaged, and closing of the carton. is accomplished by turning inwardly upon the scores or fold lines i'i the side wall elements it, suitably erecting the skirt-forming members 2i and 22 of the top 5, and upwardly folding the side wall 3 upon the score or fold line l9 into contact with the side wall elements 15, and then closing the top 5 down upon the side wall 2 and end walls 4 by folding it upon the discontinuous score or fold line 20, and engaging the tongue and slot means 29, 30, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

It will be apparent that the end walls of the carton comprise the outer members 4 including the triangular portions 3|, and inner members formed by the flaps I which are pasted to the triangular portions 3|, and inasmuch as those portions of the flaps 1 which do not overlie, and hence are not pasted to, the triangular portions 3!, are free for movement relatively to the outer members 4, they may be appropriately adjusted with respect to the bottom I as the carton is distended to set-up condition as hereinbefore described. Moreover, if desired, the carton may be re-collapsed to folded condition by swinging the free portions of the flaps l away from the end wall members 4, as will be apparent. Various changes and modifications are considered to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims. For example, although, in the form shown, the flaps 1 bearing the friction means or feet Ill form parts of the end walls, they might equally well form parts of a side wall, in which case the aperture-forming tongues ll would be located adjacent to the scores or fold lines between the'bottom and the end walls. Also, the invention might be adapted to cartons of types other than that particularly shown and described wherein a relatively rigid construction and properly erected set-up condition are desired.

What I claim is:

1. In a folding carton, a body including a side wall, an end wall and a bottom interconnected and relatively foldable upon predetermined lines of fold, one of said walls including a flap secured to it and integral with the other wall, said flap having an edge normally in substantial alignment with the line of fold between its integral wall and the bottom, said one wall being provided with inner and outer triangularportions defined by a diagonal line of fold at 45 to the line of fold between said other wall and the bottom, and said flap being attached to said outer triangular portion whereby when the carton is in set-up condition the walls will be perpendicular to the bottom, and a foot on said flap offstanding from said edge and hence extending beyond the line of fold between its integral wall and the bottom, said foot being frictionally engageable with the bottom to maintain said walls erect when the carton is set up.

2. In a folding carton, a body including a side wall, an end wall and a bottom interconnected and relatively foldable upon predetermined lines told, one of said walls including a flap secured to it and integral with the other wall, said flap having an edge normally in substantial alignment with the line of fold between its integral wall and the bottom, said one wall being provided with inner and outer triangular portions defined by a diagonal line of fold between said other wall and the bottom, and said flap being attached to said portion whereby when the carton is in set-up condition the walls will be perpendicular to the bottom, and a foot on said flap ofl'standing' from said edge and hence extending beyond the line 0! fold between its integral wall and the bottom, said foot being frictionally engageable with the bottom to maintain said walls erect when the carton is set up, said body being aperturcd adjacent to said line of fold between the bottom and the said other wall to accommodate said foot when the carton is in folded condition.

3. In a blank for a folding carton, three walls connected to forma carton corner, two of said walls being foldable relatively to the third wall upon predetermined lines 01 fold and one of said ioldable walls including a member hinged thereto and adapted to be secured throughout a portion of its area to the other foldable wall, said hinged member being thereby partially movable with respect to the wall to which it is secured when the carton is adjusted to flat i'olded condi tion, and said hinged member having one edge normally in substantial alignment with the line of told of the wall of which it forms a part and provided with means cut from the portion of the fold at 45 to the line of outer triangular other wall to which it is adapted to be secured and oflstanding from said edge to an extent beyond said line of fold and serving to frictionally engage said third wall when the carton is in setup condition to thereby maintain the corner erect, said oflstanding means being undistorted and lying in the plane of the hinged member throughout use of the carton.

4. In a blank. for a folding carton, three walls connected to form a carton comer, two of said walls being toldable relatively to the third wall upon predetermined lines of fold and one 01' said ioldable walls including a member hinged thereto and adapted to be secured throughout a portion of its area to the other toldable wall, said hinged member being thereby partially movable with respect to the wall to which it is secured when the carton is adjusted to flat-foldedcondition, and said hinged member having one edge normally in substantial alignment with the line 0! fold of the wall of which it forms a part and provided with means cutfrom the portion of the other wall to which it is adapted to be secured and oflstanding from said edge to an extent beyond said line of fold and serving to frictionally engage said third wall when the carton is in setup condition to thereby maintain the corner erect, said ofl'standing means being undistorted and lying in the plane of the hinged member throughout use 01' the carton, and an aperture at said line 0! fold to accommodate said frictional engaging means when the carton is in folded condition.

' RAY W. MARSHALL. 

